Teal Sapphires vs Blue Sapphires: Is Teal Overtaking the Classic?
A gemmologist with decades of experience and multiple qualifications, Eddi revels in creating unique jewellery designs with his clients. Influenced by his time in Glasgow, NYC and South America, he brings a wordly perspective in his approach to jewellery design.
Teal sapphires aren’t overtaking classic blue sapphires, but they are becoming a popular choice for couples who love sapphire and want a less traditional engagement ring. Their blend of blue and green gives each stone its own character, and the colour can shift depending on the light.
Teal sapphires are part of a wider move towards more individual, custom engagement ring designs. Blue sapphires have a long royal history, while a teal sapphire engagement ring can give the design a more contemporary, personal character.
In this article
What is a teal sapphire?
A teal sapphire is a sapphire gemstone that naturally blends shades of blue and green, often with subtle yellow undertones. Its colours can look like the changing shades of the ocean, which is why these stones are sometimes called ‘mermaid sapphires’. The colour comes from trace elements, mainly iron and titanium, within the stone.
Classic sapphires are prized for a pure blue, while teal sapphires are loved for their organic, varied colour. No two stones look quite the same. Some show the colours in separate bands or zones rather than blended together, and these are known as parti sapphires.
Teal sapphires are mostly found in Australia, Madagascar, Nigeria and Montana in the US. Classic blue sapphires primarily come from Kashmir, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
What is the difference between teal sapphires and blue sapphires?
Teal and blue sapphires are equally durable, but they differ in colour, character and the designs they suit. Blue sapphires give a classic look, while teal sapphires are prized for their shifting colour across several tones. Here’s a closer look at how they compare:
| Feature | Teal sapphires | Blue sapphires |
|---|---|---|
| What style do they work with? | Modern, alternative and contemporary. Pairs well with bezel, cluster, geometric and asymmetric settings. | Classic, traditional and heritage. Works well with halo, solitaire, trilogy and vintage-inspired settings. |
| What do the colours look like? | A blend of blue and green, ranging from deep ocean teal and peacock blue to mint, sage and bi-colour (parti) combinations. | A single-hue blue, ranging from bright cornflower and royal blue to rich navy. |
| What look can you achieve? | Earthy, organic and individual. A subtle, nature-inspired look that feels unique to the wearer. | Regal, high-contrast and sophisticated. A bold statement with high visual impact. |
| How do they respond to different lighting? | Noticeably. Many teal stones look bluer in daylight and greener under warm indoor light. They’re also pleochroic, which means they can show a different colour depending on the angle you view them from. | Consistently. A fine blue sapphire keeps its blue character in most lighting, though warm light can slightly change its depth. |
| What do they look like in photos? | Hard to capture accurately. Photos often flatten their shifting colour, making them look darker or more green or more blue than in real life. | Photogenic and predictable. Photos usually show their colour and brilliance accurately. |
| What shape works best? | Shapes with plenty of facets, such as radiant, bring out their range of colour. | Classic, symmetrical shapes. Round, oval, cushion and emerald show off light return and intense colour. |
| Are they suitable for everyday wear? | Yes. Sapphire scores 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, which is tough enough for an engagement ring worn every day. | Yes. Blue sapphires also score 9 on the Mohs scale. |
| How rare are they? | Naturally rare, though they’re becoming more widely available. High-clarity, unheated stones are scarce, and teal stones can be more accessible than top-grade blue sapphires. | Widely available in commercial grades. Top-grade, unheated royal blue stones from famous origins are very rare. |
What is the best setting for a teal sapphire?
The best engagement ring setting for a teal sapphire depends on the stone’s colour and undertones. Open claws let in more light, which shows off brighter blue tones. A bezel or rubover, a thin rim of metal around the stone, protects the edges and frames the colour with the metal you choose. A diamond halo adds contrast and helps a smaller sapphire look larger.
Because every teal sapphire is different, custom details such as a tailored bezel or halo can be designed around your chosen stone to bring out its character. You can also take a look at our anatomy of an engagement ring guide for more information.
If you have a teal sapphire in mind, book an appointment at our Hatton Garden or Birmingham showroom, or virtually, to compare stones and design a ring around your favourite.
How to choose the right sapphire for your engagement ring
The right sapphire is the one whose colour you love in every light, so we always recommend that you see the stones in person before you decide. Whether a stone is royal blue or teal, these steps can help guide your decision:
- See it in different lights: Look at each stone in daylight and indoor light to see how its colour shifts.
- Compare stones side by side: Seeing loose sapphires next to each other makes small differences in depth and tone much easier to notice
- Think about the metal: Hold the stone against yellow gold, white gold or platinum to see which brings out the tones you like.
- Choose the stone first: With teal sapphires in particular, the stone can guide the design rather than the other way round.
When you’re ready, book your consultation at one of our showrooms to see a selection of sapphires in person, or talk to our design team about creating a custom engagement ring tailored to your stone, style and vision.
Don't know where to start?
Online or in-person, our jewellery experts will guide you through every step – giving you the confidence to feel great about your ring.
Teal vs blue sapphires FAQs
Do you have additional questions? No problem, let us help you through the process
Many teal sapphires look bluer and brighter in natural daylight. Warmer indoor lighting, such as candlelight or office bulbs, can bring out deeper forest green and subtle olive undertones.
Their colour can also change with the viewing angle, because sapphires are pleochroic. This means they can appear as different colours when viewed from different angles.
Yes. Teal and royal blue sapphires are both varieties of the mineral corundum, so they share the same hardness and durability. Both score 9 on the Mohs scale, second only to diamond, so teal sapphires are well suited to everyday wear.
Yellow gold engagement rings bring out a teal sapphire’s green and golden undertones. Platinum and white gold give a sleek, modern finish that highlights cooler blue shades. Rose gold creates a softer, vintage-inspired look.
Not quite. A teal sapphire blends blue and green throughout the stone, often with yellow or golden undertones. A parti, or bi-colour, sapphire has separate zones of colour, such as yellow, green and blue. A teal parti sapphire combines both, which makes for a striking parti sapphire engagement ring.
Neither is better, as both are equally durable and long-lasting.
Royal blue sapphires have a long history of prestige, while teal sapphires offer a more individual look with natural colour variation.
If you’re still weighing up your options, a natural or lab grown diamond centre stone is another way to find a ring that suits your style.
Yes, lab grown teal sapphires do exist. However, natural teal sapphires are valued for the depth and variation of their colour, which is part of what makes each one unique.
If you’d like a lab grown centre stone, lab diamonds have the same physical, chemical and optical properties as natural diamonds.
Teal sapphires can be more accessible than top-grade, unheated royal blue sapphires of the same size.
Fine, unheated teal stones from sought-after origins such as Montana are rarer, which is reflected in their price.
Teal tourmaline and London Blue topaz have similar ocean-inspired colours but aren’t as hard as sapphire. London Blue topaz scores 8 on the Mohs scale and tourmaline scores around 7–7.5, so both scratch more easily. Teal sapphire scores 9, so it’s better suited to everyday wear.
Do you have additional questions? No problem, let us help you through the process
